Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
-excerpt from “Let this Darkness Be a Bell Tower” by Rainer Maria Rilke
We are all artists. It is human nature to express ourselves through creation. In fact, we are neurologically wired to respond to and make meaning out of symbols. Sometimes, pain is nonverbal and we are “at a loss for words.” Poetry, like music, has a way of filling that gap, articulating the unarticulated through imagery and sound rather than narrative. Self-expression through visualization, emotional depth, cadence, and energetic release has positive effects on both the mind and body.
Healing Benefits of Poetry
Part of the beauty of poetry lies in its accessibility. There is no one way to engage with poetry, so it can be tailored to our specific needs in each moment. There is freedom in choice. We can search for a poem that has been written by someone else or create our own. A poem can be structured or unstructured, guided or unguided, collaborative or individual, written or vocalized, long or short, and anywhere in between. Yet whether it’s scribbling down feelings in short, unpolished lines or speaking from the heart, poetry can be profoundly moving.
One therapeutic intention of writing poetry might be to give form to emotions in a way that fosters personal understanding and acceptance. Creating poetry allows us to process our experiences using our inner wisdom. While it might be challenging to name overwhelming feelings, poetry gives our inner state a form–something to look at, to listen to, to digest.
Likewise, sometimes it can be hard to communicate the felt sense of an emotion to another person. For example, grief and loss is challenging to convey in everyday conversation. However, a poem might help capture the emotional depths that can be shared. In this way, poetry enables empathy and connection between two or more people. But poetry doesn’t always have to be about negative emotions; it can also be used to establish and nurture positive feelings, too. Reading, reciting, and writing may be used as a tool to notice the nourishment of joy, gratitude, awe, and love around us.
The Nonverbal Brain
While the emotional benefits of poetry are intuitive, there’s also fascinating science to explain how poetry affects the brain. Studies show that reading or writing poetry stimulates both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This “bilateral stimulation” is an important aspect of therapy, especially trauma work, because it integrates feeling into something that can be assessed by the executive networks of the brain. In other words, bilateral stimulation helps us make sense of ourselves.
Researchers also believe that reading and writing poetry alters activity in the default mode network (DMN), a brain region associated with self-reflection, daydreaming, and memory consolidation. When we’re absorbed in a poem, our brains naturally shift states, allowing for introspection. This is why many people find that poetry helps them better understand themselves and their feelings.
Reading or writing poetry in a mindful, intentional way can also help soothe the nervous system. The cathartic and often rhythmic nature of poetry helps engage the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation. In turn, breathing is regulated and heart rate is slowed. This system helps counteract the fight-or-flight response triggered by stress and anxiety, promoting a state of relaxation and recovery.
In fact, poetry might be compared to meditation because of its ability to promote mindfulness. When we’re fully immersed in a poem, we’re not thinking about the past or worrying about the future—we are present, in the moment. Mindfulness that is focused on emotional resourcing can help establish a sense of groundedness and “okayness.”
Poetry In Action
Expressive writing is one way to explore emotions therapeutically. The idea behind this free-form modality is to let go of judgements about what poetry is or is not. Adding sensory experiences might be helpful here, identifying sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch that relate to internal thoughts and feelings.
My own practice of poetry involves nature. I like to sit outside, sitting in a brief meditation, before looking around and describing what I see. I am continually surprised by how what I write relates to my psyche. My projections are undeniably present in my work; my inner landscape disguised as descriptions of the outer scene.
Vocalizing poetry is yet another avenue for therapeutic healing. Sharing art is a vulnerable act. Fear of rejection and desire for belonging can arise in this space of reciprocal giving and receiving; intimate connections are harvested in collective validation and support of a person’s bravery. Additionally, performances that encourage fluctuation and emphasis, and movement–giving life to the poetry–can impart a bodily sense of empowerment and aliveness. Spoken word, for example, is like speaking truth from the center of our souls.
Conclusion
Reading, writing, and speaking poetry may be used in a variety of ways to support wellbeing. In general, I think poetry is an act of resilience. By creating, we can shift emotional states, find meaning, see new perspectives, rewrite our own stories, and cope with stressors.
